Wringer mop



June 9, 1936. 1 L, NlLSON 2,043,973

WRINGER MOP Filed July 22, 1935 2 Sheets-Shes?l 1 June 9, 1936.I J. L. NlLsoN WRINGER MOP Filed July 22, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 9, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE 4 Claims.

My invention relates to the twist wringer type of mop.

Among the objects of my invention Vis to create a wringer mop having a torque arm structure wherein the retaining rod holds the wringing mechanism and the swab in positive, xed wringing position so as to insure a maximum efficiency in wringing without curvature of the swab, and to afford simplicity and ease in the release of the fixed position of the wringer mop after the wringing operation has been accomplished; to provide a selector in combination with a ratchet mechanism wherein the operator at any time from his finger tips may control the operation l5 of the ratchet mechanism; to create a ratchet mechanism for twist wringing operation wherein the mechanism is least affected by foreign matter or the elements; and such other objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and which are inherently possessed by my invention.

My Patent No. 2,018,413 of October 22, 1935 shows and claims a torque arm construction. My invention herein shows a torque arm construction but it is new and differs from Patent No. 2,018,413 in disclosing and claiming the retaining rod as slidable with respect to the handle and adapted to hold the wringing mechanism in a predetermined fixed position.

My Patent No. 2,018,413 also shows and claims a wringing mechanism, a ratchet and a selector. My present invention herein shows such elements, but is new and different in that the ratchet projections claimed herein are integrally formed on one face of the U-shaped member.

While I have shown in the accompanying drawings preferred embodiments of my inventions yet I wish it understood that the same are susceptible of modification and change without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings: Fig. 1 is a front elevational View of my wringer mop; Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the mop in tightly wrung position; Fig. 3 shows the mop in inverted position withV the swab fully extended as for drying or shipping; Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the ratchet device and showing the ratchet in disengagement with the teeth of the U-shaped member; Fig. 5 is aview similar to Fig. 4 showing the ratchet engaged with the the teeth of the U-shaped member; Fig. 6 is a plan sectional View on line 6--6 of Fig. 4; and Figs, 7 and 8 are detailed perspective views of the two ratchet members. My wringer mop comprises a handle I0, a

to the axis of the handle to form a bearing I6 10Y for a U-'shaped member I1 of the wringing mechanism I2. VA retaining rod I 8 is pivotally mounted on one end to the end of the bent over portion I6 of the torque arm I5 to form a stop 2l for the U-shaped member I'I of the wringing 15 mechanism I2. The retaining rod I8 towardsits other end is slidable through a staple I9 xed in the handle I0 at a point offset from the pivot point 20 of the torque arm. The retaining rod I 8 toward its open slidable end has a portion bent 20 downwardly on itself at substantially a right angle to form a hook 22 so that when the wringer mop is in wringing position gravity will cause the offset 22 to engage the lower leg 23 of the staple I9 and hold the wringer mop in xed 25 wringing position. The wringer mop may be released from fixed wringing position by the operator lifting the retaining rod I8 so that the offset 22 is raised above the leg 23 of the staple I9 and is thereby freed from engagement there- 30 with. The free end of the retaining rod I8 has a bent portion 42 so that the retaining rod I8 is always held within the staple I9 and cannot escape therefrom.

Referring more particularly to the wringing 35 mechanism I2, I employ a U-shaped member I'I which is supported on the bearing I6 of the torque armrIE. The U-shaped member Il acts as a bearing for the twisting shaft 24 which passes transversely through the U-shaped member I'I 40 in such a way as to hold the assembly in place. The U-shaped member I'l has on one face i8 a pair of diametrically disposed slits 26 so as to permit a portion on one side of each of said slits 26 to be bent to form a pair of dia- 4'5 metrically disposed teeth 2'l thus forming a ratchet plate 25. A pawl or disk 28 is slidably keyed to the twisting shaft 24 and has a plurality of teeth 43. Said disk pawl 28 is placed opposite said U-shaped member Il so that upon 50 rotation of the twisting shaft 24 the teeth 43 of the disk pawl 28 engage the teeth 2I of the U- shaped member I'l so as to permit movement only in one rotary direction. In addition I employ a selector 29 having a finger control 30 slidably 55 mounted on the twisting shaft 24. Interposed between the disk pawl 28 and the nger control 30 is a resilient member 32 such as a coiled spring or the like. As the finger control 30 of the selector 29 is pushed downwardly the resilient member 32 presses the disk 28 so that the teeth 43 of the disk 28 engage the teeth 2'I of the U-shaped member I1 and as the finger control 38 of the selector 29 is moved upwardly and upon pressure being applied to the twisting mechanism the resilient member 32 pulls the disk 28 away from U- shaped member Il and thereby disengages the teeth 21 and 43.

When my wringer mop is in closed position for operation the torque arm I5 and the retaining rod I8 lie substantially parallel on the handle I 8. Likewise the wringing mechanism I3 with the twisting shaft 24 and an extension therefrom forming a handle 48 lie on top of the torque arm I5, the handle Ill and the retaining rod I8. In order to hold these parts in iixed position I insert a hook member 4I in the handle I0 and pivoted to the same at such a position that the hook member 4I when moved downwardly by gravity engages the handle 40 of the twisting shaft 24 and holds the entire structure in closed, fixed position.

As particularly shown in Fig. 3 when the handle 40 has been extended to its maximum point toward the top of the handle I0 it causes the swab I4, the retaining rod I8 and torque arm I5 to lie substantially parallel to the handle ID which gives maximum packing efficiency for both protection and for economy of space for shipping purposes.

By virtue of the construction of the retainingv rod I8 being slidable in the staple I9 it permits the swab I4 to lie substantially parallel with the handle I0 of the wringer mop to thus insure complete drying and prevent souring of the swab.

The twisting shaft 24 has an upper frictional stop member 44 and a lower frictional stop member 45to hold the selector in disengaged and engaged positions respectively. The lower stop member 45, therefore, acts to hold the selector 29 in position against the force of spring 32, and

i likewise the upper stop' member 44 holds the selector 29 against the pulling force of spring 32. Having thus described my invention, I claim:v l. A wringer mop comprising an elongated handle, a swab, means for holding theA swab at one end adjacent the end of said handle, a torque arm pivoted transversely to said handle to swing toward and away from said handle, a retaining rod pivotally connected at its outer end to the outer end of said torque arm, means attached to said elongated handle at a point offset from the pivot point of said torque arm for slidably mounting the inner end of said retaining rod to said elongated handle so that said retaining rod is laterally swingable with respect to said handle, said retaining rod having means for holding the wringing mechanism of the mop in wringing position, a U-sliaped member, said torque arm havinga bent over portion substantially at a right angle and transverse to the axis of said handle,

vsaid bent over portion lying within the closed end of and forming a bearing for said U-shaped member, said retaining rod where its outer end is pivotally connected to the outer end of the bent over portion of the torque arm adapted to act as a stop member toy prevent lateral displacement of said U-shaped member, a twisting shaft having means at its lower end for holding the other end of said swab, said twisting shaft passing transversely with respect to said bent over portion of said torque arm through both legs of said U- shaped member to prevent vertical displacement of said U-shaped member, said U-shaped member also acting as a bearing surface for said twisting shaft, one of the faces of said U-shaped member formed with integral ratchet projections, and a pawl attached to said twisting shaft for engaging the projections on said U-shaped member.

2. In a wringer mop, a torque arm construction comprising an elongated handle, a torque arm pivoted transversely to said handle to swing toward andaway from said handle, a retaining rod pivotally connected at its outer end to the outer end of said torque arm, a staple iixed to said handle at a point offset from the pivot point of said torque arm, the inner end of said retaining rod slidable in said staple, so that said retaining rod is laterally swingable. with respect to said handle, said retaining rod having an offset portion adapted to engage a leg of said staple for holding the wringing mechanism of the mop in fixed wringing position.

3. In a wringer mop, a wringing mechanism for twisting a swab comprising a U-shaped member, a twisting shaft passing through both legs of said U-shaped member, one face of said U-shaped member formed with integral ratchet projections, a slidable pawl keyed to said twisting shaft, said slidable pawl placed opposite to the ratchet projections of the U-shaped member so as to engage thesame upon rotation of the twisting shaft, a selector slidably mounted on the twisting shaft and a spring fixed to said selector and to said pawl so that upon a longitudinal movement of the selector away from the pawl and upon pressure then being applied to the twisting shaft in the same directional movement of the wringing operation said spring pulls said pawl out of engagement with the ratchet projections of the U-shaped member and the twisting shaft is released from a held position.

4. In a wringer mop, a wringing mechanism for twisting a swab comprising a U-shaped member,

a twisting shaft passing through both legs of said r U-shaped member, one face of said U-shaped member formed with integral ratchet projections, a slidable pawl keyed to said twisting shaft, said slidable pawl placed opposite to the ratchet projections of the U-shaped member so as to engage the same upon rotation of the twisting shaft, a selector slidably mounted on the twisting shaft and a spring fixed to said selector and to said pawl so that upon a longitudinal movement of the selector away from the pawl and upon pressure then being applied to the twisting shaft in the same directional movement of the wringing operation saidspring pulls'said pawl out of engagement with the ratchet projections of the U-shaped member and the twisting shaft is released from a held position and means for frictionally holding the selector in its disengaged or engaged positions.

JOHN L. NILSON. 

